Dear oh Dear - where does the time go? Apologies for not updating this in so long. Was finally back in Dover for the last day of September.
Did Dover --> Falmouth --> Porto Santo --> Azores --> Falmouth (Solo) --> Dover (Solo)
All very succesfully. Didn't go any further (i.e. to Senegal) due to running out of cash.
Azores to Falmouth Solo is the first bit I've written up properly - 2000 words. Previous stuff is in emails to friends archived on the 'Old News Blog' above.
See flickr:co26 for some photos of the trip. Many more still to upload :(
Dolphins in the Bay of Biscay (YouTube Video)
See flickr:refit for photos of the refit.
Spring 2006 Exploration Board Proposal with a pretty hourglass travel itinerary & brief description of current gear on Fantana. This was entirely unsuccesful - they deemed the whole thing too dangerous and minimalistic (the idea of a 26 foot boat being capable of crossing oceans without radar seemed rather shocking to them), and had serious reservations about my experience due to lack of RYA or equiv. qualification. Bah Humbug.
The picture to the right is Fantana (a sleek Contessa 26) bobbing in Boulogne harbour, August 2005.
There's currently a Contessa 26 being piloted around the world by a Norwegian couple, visit the BIKA to see where she's got to.